Knights edge Cards 3-2 for third place at Arcata

ARCATA -- The Clear Lake Cardinals and Kelseyville Knights traveled four hours north on Highway 101 to play each other Saturday.

OK, to be fair, the two varsity baseball teams didn't go that far out of their way just to play one game. However, the tournament bracket in the Arcata Tournament, which opened Friday, led both squads to a meeting in the third-place game won by Kelseyville, 3-2.

In what was the first of three or possibly even four meetings between the two rivals this season, Kelseyville scored three times in the bottom of the third inning to wipe out the 2-0 lead Clear Lake established in the top of the first. Winning pitcher Camillo Diaz worked all seven innings for the victory after also starting for the Knights and working three innings - and taking the loss - in a 9-1 semifinal-round setback to Brookings-Harbor of Oregon earlier in the day.

Clear Lake dropped a 1-0, eight-inning decision to Arcata in its semifinal-round game earlier Saturday.

"A workmanlike 10-inning day for him," Kelseyville coach Lou Poloni said of Diaz, who struck out five and walked one in the win over Clear Lake. "You've got to let some of your ponies run," Poloni said when asked about his senior right-hander's rare two-start day.

Losing pitcher Joey Blair carried a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the third when Kelseyville's John Smith knotted the score with a two-run double. Diaz then helped himself with a RBI groundout, putting the Knights ahead to stay at 3-2.

Poloni said the Knights and Cardinals are evenly matched and that he's looking forward to their two league meetings and even a possible playoff matchup down the road.

"It could be as exciting of a league race as I can remember," Poloni said.

"We are evenly matched," Clear Lake assistant coach Derek Brodnansky said. "I think the team that makes the least amount of errors is going to win."

That team on Saturday was Kelseyville, which didn't commit a miscue in the field against Clear Lake, which had four errors. It was a stark contrast to Kelseyville's nine-error game earlier in the day against Brookings-Harbor.

Poloni said the rough start to Kelseyville's day might have helped the Knights against Clear Lake.

"We were pretty pissed off," Poloni said of the reaction of his players to their performance against Brookings-Harbor. "They were not happy. They really wanted to do better against Clear Lake and they did."

Kelseyville shortstop John Mark Reagan went 3-for-4 against the Cardinals. Cole Brodnansky and Dillon Williams each went 2-for-3 for Clear Lake Blair worked the first four innings for the Cardinals and allowed five hits, all three Kelseyville runs, struck out four and walked one.

Both teams are now 6-5 overall.

Semifinals

In Kelseyville's loss to Brookings-Harbor in the early game Saturday, the Knights scored their lone run on a Nik Vargas RBI single in the top of the first.

Diaz, the first of three Kelseyville pitchers, allowed four runs - all unearned - in his three innings on the mound. He allowed just three hits, struck out two and walked one.

In Clear Lake's 1-0 loss to Arcata, the Tigers scored on a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to win the game and spoil the Clear Lake debut of senior pitcher Brandon Fenner, who went the distance and scattered six hits while striking out seven and walking three.

The Cardinals had only one hit but it almost was enough to win the game. Brodnansky led off the top of the seventh with a double to left field but Clear Lake couldn't advance him.

"I was happy with the kids all weekend," said Brodnansky, who was filling in for head coach Zane Jensen (away on a work-related trip). "We've seen some pretty good teams (in the preseason) and I think we're competitive with them."

Clear Lake and Kelseyville, both 1-0 in the North Central League I standings, resume their league schedules today. Clear Lake hosts Willits while Kelseyville plays at Cloverdale at 4 p.m.

Tourney notes: Poloni said his two middle infielders, shortstop Reagan and second baseman Jacob "Mighty" Martinek, made two of the better plays on defense he's seen in his long coaching career. Reagan's gem came on Friday during a first-round win against McKinleyville. "It was ground ball up the middle and he (Reagan) went all the way behind second to grab the ball and throw the guy out. I already had it written down in the scorebook as a single." Martinek's play accounted for the final out against Clear Lake on Saturday. "He went 30-35 yards behind first base in right field to catch a popup in foul ground. He made a full-speed, diving catch. It was pretty awesome."